Regulatory and Washington

TAMPA, Fla. — The National Association of Specialty Pharmacy has named James Smeeding its first executive director, the group said Tuesday. The announcement was made during its first Specialty Pharmacy Conference in San Diego, which drew more than 500 participants.

Smeeding is the founder of the University of Texas College of Pharmacy's Center for Pharmacoeconomic studies and has worked for a variety of companies and organizations, including the TPG National Payor Roundtable, the Jestarx Group, Digital Health Dialog and others.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A MinuteClinic location at a CVS store in downtown Columbia, S.C., got a visit from one of the state's top health officials recently.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — A growing number of patients on Medicaid are filling their prescriptions through Managed Medicaid plans instead of the fee-for-service model as states switch them over in an effort to improve patient care and cut healthcare costs, but the effects remain unclear, according to a new study.

WASHINGTON — The Council for Responsible Nutrition last week issued recommended guidelines for caffeine-containing dietary supplement products, expanding its self-regulatory initiatives that encourage best practices within the supplement industry. 

NEW YORK — A joint conference by the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy and the Association of Managed Care Pharmacy attracted hundreds of leaders from across the specialty pharmacy industry.

CHICAGO — The University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy on Wednesday announced that it is the recipient of a five-year, $2.1 million grant to train graduate and postdoctoral students in natural product drugs and dietary supplements. The grant is funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, one of the National Institutes of Health.

WASHINGTON — The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society of Adolescent Health and Medicine Friday morning commended a U.S. District Court ruling that expands over-the-counter access of Plan B One-Step to women under the age of 17. "This decision reflects the overwhelming evidence that emergency contraception is safe and effective for all women of reproductive age," the medical associations stated as part of a joint statement. 

NEW YORK — The Food and Drug Administration has 30 days to approve over-the-counter availability of the emergency contraceptive Plan B One-Step to women of all ages, according to a decision issued Friday by Judge Edward Korman of the United States District Court, Eastern District of New York. In a second decision, Korman declined to intervene on Teva Pharma's behalf in extending patent exclusivity for Plan B One-Step.